How to Keep Your Horse On a Tight Budget
Surviving the credit crunch is difficult enough, but when you have horses and ponies which rely on you for nurishment, shelter and medicine, every small amount saved helps.
It’s a well known fact that dozens of horses and ponies are abandoned every week, as owners struggle to cope with the economy as it is, because of this there are currently many horses for sale.
Sara Tuppen from the Horse Refuge in Wittersham Kent, knows all about looking after horses on a tight budget, having to rely purely on donations to keep more than 40 rescued horses in good condition. She believes there are a few points which could help make keeping a horses during a recession a little easier:
1. Many horses can live quite happily outside for most of the year, providing there’s nurishment, water and shelter available. If this is a suitable option for your horse, it could reduce your stabling prices considerably.
2. Removing shoes can be an easy way to keep costs down. If not ridden regularly, and not ridden on rough surfaces, a great deal of horses will not need shoes.
3. Sharing your horse is a fantastic way to cut (even halve!) costs, and provides a cheaper introduction to horse riding for another person.
4. In many cases it is possible to get free stabling and perhaps even hay and straw in return for chores. Mucking out, grooming the horses, yard and paddock maintenance etc. are all ways which could save you money for a little hard work!
5. Visits to the vets are an unknown quantity but still have to be considered. If money’s a little tight, you may sometimes discover a lot of Vets will allow you to spread the cost.
6. Most of us can make lifestyle changes! It’s not all about finding ways to keep your horse for less, see if you can do it for yourself!
7. Wherever possible, horse owners can often club together to buy feed and bedding in bulk, reducing the overall price and helping everyone save a little.
8. Finally, you can look into placing your horse in a foster home, even as a family friend.
If you’re fortunate enough to be in a position to share, or even purchase a horse or pony, there are still many horses for sale and ponies for sale available.
